Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon reached 1,000 regular-season points earlier on Monday night, getting to the benchmark nearly six months before his 30th birthday in September. Here’s a look at how he got there, season by season.
2013-14
Date: Oct. 2, 2013
Moment: Point No. 1
The first step toward 1,000 came in his NHL debut. MacKinnon chased down the puck behind Anaheim’s net and snapped a backhanded pass through the legs of Saku Koivu to Jamie McGinn cutting to the net. From the late Peter McNabb: “Watch it fans and enjoy it, because this isn’t going to be the last one you see from this kid.” It was the first of 63 points en route to the Calder Trophy.
2014-15
Date: Feb. 22, 2015
Moment: Hat Trick No. 1
MacKinnon’s sophomore season didn’t go as planned, but he recorded his first career hat trick in a 5-4 win against Tampa Bay, the eventual Stanley Cup finalists. It was a little bit of everything — a highlight-reel backhanded shot while fending off a defender, a tip in front of the net and then a laser of a wrist shot. All from a 19-year-old MacKinnon vs. 20-year-old Andrei Vasilevskiy, a harbinger of future battles to come.
2015-16
Date: Nov. 14, 2015
Moment: Double Trouble
MacKinnon didn’t grow up a Canadiens fan like his idol, Sidney Crosby, but he’s had some memorable moments at Bell Centre. He scored quickly off an offensive-zone faceoff, then another just 13 seconds later with a slick backhanded shot. Not many players have scored a second goal at hockey’s modern cathedral while legendary public address voice Michel Lacroix is still announcing the first.
2016-17
Date: Dec. 11, 2016
Moment: He Beat ‘em All
The Avs won just nine road games in 2016-17, rock bottom before this group grew into Stanley Cup champions. MacKinnon had the game-winner in three of those games. One came in Toronto, when the Avs had a power play. Not only did he weave through all four Maple Leaf skates on the ice, 1-on-4, to score, he was high-sticked at the beginning.
2017-18
Date: April 7, 2018
Moment: Punctuating a Revival
A year after finishing with just 48 points, the Avs needed to prevail in regulation of a winner-take-all Game No. 82 against the Blues to come all the way back and make the playoffs for the first time since 2014. MacKinnon scored on a goal set up by Gabe Landeskog, then won a puck battle to set up the captain for a game-clinching empty-net tally.
2018-19
Date: Dec. 22, 2018
Moment: What a Shift
The entire package, in 25 seconds. Down 4-3 to Arizona, MacKinnon won a puck battle, skated it out of the crowd and set up a scoring chance. Then, when Arizona looked to have a clear way out of the defensive zone, MacKinnon rocked Clayton Keller with a hit to cause a turnover. Seconds later, he received a pass at the left point but moved by the defender with a silky fake shot and deke, followed by snapping home a goal.
2019-20
Date: Nov. 17, 2019
Moment: Justice is Served
Mad that Vancouver had scored twice with the goalie pulled to tie the game, including a controversial one while Matt Calvert was laying and bleeding on the ice, MacKinnon needed one shift to slice his way through all three Canucks on the ice and collect one of the best overtime goals of his career.
2020-21
Date: Feb. 20, 2021
Moment: The Lake Show
Colorado’s outdoor game at Lake Tahoe was delayed after the first period for eight hours because of poor ice conditions. Those who watched after midnight ET were treated to maybe the best goal in NHL outdoor history. MacKinnon broke up a Vegas rush, then collected the puck in his own end for a vintage end-to-end dash before a quick move on Alex Pietrangelo and a goal. Pietrangelo, who was mic’d up for the NBC broadcast, simply said “oh boy” as MacKinnon thundered towards him.
2021-22
Date: Feb. 25, 2022
Moment: An Avalanche … of Shots
Winnipeg had a 3-0 lead after the first period. MacKinnon had one shot. Then he and the rest of the Avs went off, shredding Connor Hellebuyck and the Jets in a 6-3 comeback win. MacKinnon had two goals, but also set a career high with 14 shots on net. This was also Gabe Landeskog’s last hat trick, and an example of how terrifying this eventual Stanley Cup champion club could be.
2022-23
Date: April 14, 2023
Moment: A Title Winner
The defending champion Avs dealt with a ton of injuries (sounds familiar) but roared home and won the Central Division in Game No. 82, a 4-3 victory in Nashville. All MacKinnon did was assist on the first one and score the last three, including a goal of the year candidate in the middle of his hat trick.
2023-24
Date: April 9, 2024
Moment: The Closing Argument
MacKinnon had multiple four-goal, five-point games en route to a franchise-record 140-point season and MVP honors. But his hat trick of breakaway goals (plus an assist) against the Minnesota Wild in Game No. 79 was his pièce de résistance. Three times he had the puck on his stick with a Wild defender in front of him and three times he finished the play in alone on net for goals No. 49, 50 and 51.
2024-25
Date: Feb. 8, 2025
Moment: More Edmonton Magic
For the second year in a row, MacKinnon set up a late game-winner in a thrilling Avalanche-Oilers showdown at Rexall Place. The reigning MVP outshined Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl with a four-point night — a goal and three primary assists. The last, a slick play off his own rebound to Martin Necas, came with 4:22 remaining to break a 4-4 tie and send MacKinnon into the 4 Nations break on a high that he carried over en route to being MVP of the tournament.